Luis Sanchez, pianist

For over two decades, pianist Luis Sanchez has maintained an active career as soloist, collaborative artist, and teacher.  He has appeared in concerts in the United States, South America, Europe, and Asia.  He is currently Professor of Piano and Head of Keyboard Studies at Texas A&M University-Commerce.  Dr. Sanchez joined the Steinway Artist Roster in 2012.

Praised for his artistry, dazzling technique, and inspiring performances, Luis Sanchez has presented recitals and master classes at Steinway Hall in London, Birmingham Conservatoire (UK), Sala delle Muse at the Teatro Petruzzelli (Bari, Italy), Chiesa di Sant’Agnese in Agnone (Rome, Italy), National Cheng Kung University (Taiwan), the Grieg Academy (Bergen, Norway), the Norwegian Academy of Music (Oslo, Norway), Hangyang University (Seoul, South Korea), the Piano Concert Series International (Louisiana), and throughout the United States. He has also been featured soloist with the Orchestra of New Spain (Dallas), The Texarkana Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra, the Ball State Symphony Orchestra, and with the Texas A&M University-Commerce Wind Ensemble.

Luis Sanchez enjoys a successful teaching career.  Current and former students have been recipient of prizes at national and state competitions including the Texas Music Teachers Association Performance Contest, the National Young Musicians Showcase Competition, the Muncie Symphony Junior Concerto Competition, the Tuesday Musical Club Young Artist Competition in San Antonio, The UT Arlington Competition Festival, among others.  Additionally, his students have been accepted at numerous summer programs including Piano Texas, Chautauqua Piano Program, Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, International Masterclasses and Festival in Moulin d’Ande (France).  He thoroughly enjoys teaching a diverse group of students from different corners of the United States as well as from Venezuela, Colombia, China, Bulgaria, Russia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Colombia, and South Korea. Since 2014, he frequently joins the faculty of InterHarmony International Music Festival in Germany and Italy.

He has been a frequent presenter at the Texas Music Teachers Association Convention, the Southeastern Historical Keyboard Society Conclaves, the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, and national and regional College Music Society Conferences. Dr. Sanchez has served as an adjudicator for numerous competitions and festivals, including the SAI Piano Competition at the Chautauqua Summer Institution, Musicfest Northwest (Spokane, WA), and Music Teachers National Association, among others.  In 2009 and 2012, he was served as examiner of the International Piano Performance Examination Committee in Taiwan.

Equally at home with the fortepiano and the modern piano, Dr. Sanchez pursued further studies in fortepiano and XVIII century performance practice with Malcolm Bilson, Andrew Willis, and Liv Glaser (Oslo, Norway).   In 2012, he was commissioned to write an article on Phil Belt (American builder of fortepianos) for the New Grove Dictionary of American Music and Early Music America.

Born in Argentina, Dr. Sanchez holds degrees from the National Conservatory of Music “Carlos López Buchardo” and Ball State University.  His teachers include Ana Litovsky-Grunwald, Graciela Beretervide, Robert Palmer, and Rebecca Penneys.

May Tsao-Lim, Professor of Piano, coordinates the group piano curriculum as well as teaches applied piano and piano pedagogy at Henderson State University. She is currently the Assistant Chair of the department of music as well as the Director of International Music Festivals partnering with institutions in China.

Prior to joining Henderson State University, Dr. Lim taught at Iowa State University and University College Sedaya International (Malaysia.) Besides college-level instruction, Dr. Tsao-Lim enjoys teaching children of all ages. Her students have been winners of state competitions.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Lim has presented pedagogy workshops at state conferences, Music Teachers’ National Association national conventions, and in Malaysia. Among her interests in pedagogy research include elementary- and intermediate-level teaching techniques, keyboard performance techniques, and instruction with music technology.

As a pianist, Dr. Lim has frequently performed as a duo pianist and a chamber musician. She often collaborates with members of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.  Among the major chamber repertoire included Brahms’ Trio Op.40 and Vaughan Williams’ Quintet in D Major performed at the ASO River Rhapsodies chamber series. More recent performances included Tchaikovsky Piano Trio in A minor, Op.50.

Dr. Lim earned her B.M. in piano performance with highest honor ‘Bronze Tablet’ and two Master’s degrees (Piano Performance, Piano Pedagogy) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy at the University of Oklahoma with Jane Magrath.